blue water.

There was a roar of amazement and applause.

The carcass was towed alongside, at Tadcaster's urgent request, and then
the power of the explosion was seen. Confined, first by the bottle, then
by the meat, then by the fish, and lastly by the water, it had exploded
with tenfold power, had blown the brute's head into a million atoms, and
had even torn a great furrow in its carcass, exposing three feet of the
backbone.

Taddy gloated on his enemy, and began to pick up again from that hour.

The wind improved, and, as usual in that latitude, scarcely varied
a point. They had a pleasant time,--private theatricals and other
amusements till they got to latitude 26 deg. S. and longitude 27 deg. W.
Then the trade wind deserted them. Light and variable winds succeeded.

The master complained of the chronometers, and the captain thought it
his duty to verify or correct them; and so shaped his course for the
island of Tristan d'Acunha, then lying a little way out of his course. I
ought, perhaps, to explain to the general reader that the exact position
of this island being long ago established and recorded, it was an
infallible guide to go by in verifying a ship's chronometers.

Next day the glass fell all day, and the captain said he should
double-reef topsails at nightfall, for something was brewing.

The weather, however, was fine, and the ship was sailing very fast,
when, about half an hour before sunset, the mast-head man hailed that